Austin Public Works recently kicked off its annual sealcoat season to improve hundreds of local streets. Residents can expect to see work crews in their neighborhoods and all around town through the early fall. This annual maintenance effort is a cost-effective way to extend the life of Austin’s roads.

“The City of Austin has been using sealcoat for decades and aims to maintain the quality of streets based on their age and location,” said Director of Public Works Richard Mendoza. “The treatment can extend the life of a street as much as 15 years.”

Residents living along streets identified for sealcoat treatment this year will receive advance notice before crews arrive.

To help make this a smooth process, Austin Public Works is offering the following tips:

• Vehicles must be removed from streets scheduled for maintenance for two (2) days
• Expect loose gravel once the work is complete
• Avoid hard braking and sharp turning until the surface hardens

The sealcoat process involves three basic steps: spray, spread and sweep.

Crews spray an oil mixture on the road, spreading and rolling a gravel mixture into place, and then sweeping excess gravel. The sealcoat process results in a smoother surface eliminating the hairline cracks that lead to potholes. Crews typically sweep the day after sealcoating and may perform additional sweeping if necessary.

The City of Austin uses a Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) to forecast pavement needs and identify streets showing signs of degradation. The annual program aims to maintain at least 80 percent of Austin’s streets in fair or better condition.

The sealcoat treatment must be applied in warm, dry weather, so the work is usually between May and October as weather permits. On most streets, the work is typically fast at times only taking 30 minutes per lane per block. Crews work during daylight hours from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM on weekdays and on some weekends.

The annual sealcoat program addresses approximately 500 different streets in neighborhoods all over the city.

To see what streets will be improved this year, visit: austintexas.gov/streetmaintenance

About Austin Public Works Street and Bridge Operations:
Public Works Street and Bridge Operations manages and maintains public right-of-way infrastructure including streets, bridges, sidewalks, guardrails, trees and vegetation. Our five divisions patch potholes, resurface streets, repair utility cuts, maintain the City's medians, right-of-way maintenance on trees, and respond after storms. 
 

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